44faced Official Website | 44faced

So Much to See and Learn in Billboard Top 10 Songwriter Ron Hamrick’s “Time”

What are the elements of popular songwriting?What makes a hit song? Multiple Billboard Top 10 songwriter Ron Hamrick’s single “Time” shows us many of these elements:

1) Feeling

Most people don’t talk about feeling with enough importance, but I’d say it’s the primary element. The songwriter needs to love what he’s doing. That love for music first and foremost shines through the moment Ron Hamrick’s voice enters the track.

2) Relief

The music feels like a great relief, i.e. that it stems from an authentic place in Ron Hamrick that feels every word he sings deeply and strongly. Every word and every nuance of every word is enveloped in the vision that Ron Hamrick is locked on, and which he’s trying to communicate.

3) Relatable

Before you know it, you’re in the chorus. Ron Hamrick touches a common chord in every person: time passing by.

No matter whether you’re a 55-year-old truck driver, a 35-year-old upcoming entrepreneur, and possibly harder for the younger generation, but there would be some early-20-year-olds and some teens also seeing what the song talks about: When you’re 13, you can still picture how you were an infant, a child in primary and secondary school, all kinds of different friends you’ve had, classes you’ve been in, your relatives, your parents and family. Places you’ve been, things you’ve seen and done. So Ron Hamrick chooses a topic that’s close to every person.

4) Picturesque

The lyrics weave together settings, objects, people and movements, making it easy to see music-video-like pictures of the sound painting Ron beautifully orchestrates.

The picture that came to me was a guy on a brown-and-white porch surrounded by green bush, kicking back with a cup of tea, as his eyes turned inwardly to his thoughts, and he traveled into a flow of memories and a contemplation of time. There was also lots of camera panning, zooming and movement involved in these pictures.

5) Optimistic

Shining guitars, and drums-and-bass that hold the rhythm with a persistently calm drive, bed the track with a characteristic simplicity and positivity.

While different to most music I listen to, at the level of these elements—feeling a love for music, music as a relief in life, a topic common to all people, picturesque lyrics and an optimistic tone—it shares so much in common in today’s hip hop and rap songs that I like, and yesterday’s grunge and metal songs that I liked (and still like), and the day-before-that’s pop and rock music that I liked (and also still like), i.e. when looking through a more fundamental lens, outside cultural influences, with focus on the common things to all people that Ron Hamrick’s music has, I greatly appreciate the intermingling of elements that have woven together through Ron Hamrick with such precise professionalism. Ron masterfully uses his songwriting and musicianship skills, his body, his guitar and his voice, as tools to express exactly what he wants to sing to every person alive on the planet.

In addition to all that, since I help artists with their branding, I also have to mention Ron Hamrick’s genius branding tactic: using “Ron Hamrick is an internationally acclaimed Billboard Top 10 songwriter” as his tagline.

Why is this so genius?

It’s because, without knowing anything about Ron, when I received an email with Ron’s material, before clicking to listen to his music, I clicked to find out about him, and in about 2 or 3 places, it was strongly mentioned “Ron Hamrick is an internationally acclaimed Billboard Top 10 songwriter.” Thus, before I even started listening to his music, I already had the context locked into my head of “Okay, let’s find out why’s Ron Hamrick is such a successful songwriter.” Then, with that inquisitive ear, I entered the song, and the music started playing out as many answers to this question: “Why is Ron Hamrick a successful songwriter? It’s because…” and then I heard and wrote the reasons above. I believe that Ron’s branding approach and the domino effect it caused in me is worth a mention, because the context you set before people approach you helps shape the perception and feelings that you’re trying to convey.

I wish to thank Ron for the opportunity to listen intently on his music and write this review, which I believe provides great value to any upcoming musician, as well as anybody who wishes to take a deeper look inside a great musical experience.